Your Cliff Notes Guide To DJ Pauly D And The Custody Battle For His Love Child

I put off learning about this Pauly D baby daddy scandal as long as I could, because I was hoping that if I ignored it for long enough, it would go away. But unsurprisingly for someone who got famous off a show like Jersey Shore, that hasn’t happened yet. Aka it’s finally time for me to give you your cliff notes guide to the whole situation.

THE MOTHER

Her name is Amanda Markert, and she is a twenty-five year old mother of two born in Jersey but living in Las Vegas. Which is where she met Pauly on their drunken night in 2012, and the rest is history. She’s a mother of two now that little Amabella is in the world, and both of the children have different fathers. I have no beef with that at all, but it is worth pointing out that the second birth at least was unplanned. I have no idea about the first.

THE BABY

Like I said, her name is Amabella, she was born in May 2013 and she’s a few months old, currently living with her mom. She’s adorable, naturally, as all babies are, but the way that Pauly was informed of her existence is up for debate a little bit.

THE CONTROVERSY

According to some sources, Pauly had no idea that Amanda had even been pregnant until she hit him with a paternity suit, asking for child support. But others are saying that he did know, and that he and Amanda had agreed she would terminate the pregnancy, since it was unplanned and the two of them didn’t have a relationship. Amanda herself even says that she has text message proof that he asked her to get an abortion, which she’s attempting to use against him in the custody battle.

But just to complicate matters, other sources are saying that she actually agreed to get an abortion, and even accepted money for one, and then elected to have the baby instead, without consulting Pauly or returning the cash.

THE CUSTODY BATTLE

Who knows what the deal is with that, but now that Pauly knows about his daughter, he’s suing for full custody of Amabella. He feels that Amanda is an unfit mother, and cites specifically the fact that she used to work at Hooters and that she already has a child by another father.

For her part, Amanda is insisting that Pauly is trying to exploit the baby for money, even though she herself posed Amabella in a high chair with hundred dollar bills arrayed out on it in front of her. Without knowing much about the story, it seems like maybe this girl Amanda was suing for paternity just to get child support and hoping to still be able to raise the baby on her own, with Pauly’s money.

It’s a sketchy situation all around, and we’ll have to see how it plays out in the courts, but there’s one thing I do have to say. No matter how this baby came about, Pauly is doing the right thing by stepping up to the plate and taking responsibility, and I’m impressed by that.

When he found out he was Amabella’s dad, he acknowledged it right away, saying, “I’m proud I’m a father. I am excited to embark on this new part of my life.” Say what you will about the kid, but he’s obviously ready to be in his daughter’s life and willing to work to make that happen.

“…even though she herself posed Amabella in a high chair with hundred dollar bills arrayed out on it in front of her.”

That baby will be the best Monopoly banker ever because she’ll have been practicing since her highchair days.

Jessieface

If working at Hooters makes someone an unfit mother, then filming your sexcapades and drunken doucery for money on a popular reality show surely must count against you as well. No?

elle

Yep I definitely raised an eyebrow at that one as well….serving at a restaurant vs acting like an asshole on tv and serving is worse? I don’t think so. And she has a child by another man? Who cares? How does that make her unfit?

elle

Oh wait apparently she doesn’t work at shooters anymore…winder what she does now. And that picture is definitely not in good taste but to be completely honest if I had a child by a celeb/someone with a lot of money that’s exactly how I would feel though I wouldn’t take that picture.

Alexis Rhiannon

Yeah but taking the picture makes it weird, right? I feel like it puts the kid in the middle of it.

elle

I also feel the need to clarify that I don’t think she should get sole custody while taking his money I obviously don’t know enough about this situation to know if she should or shouldn’t have custody just that even if she does get joint custody she will most likely get child support payments and I do think that if it’s true that she agreed to get an abortion and took money from him that’s a pretty shitty thing to do. I don’t want to sound like an asshole.

Alexis Rhiannon

Oh, totally agree! If she wants child support I think she should let Pauly see the kid as well. As long as he’s stepping up.

Alexis Rhiannon

Just to be clear, these are his ideas, not mine. He says she’s unfit, not me.

elle

Oh no I’m super aware of that…the eyebrow raise was to him and the lawyers not you . And yes actually taking that picture is super weird and also eyebrow raising in its own

Alexis Rhiannon

Okay good, just wanted to make sure I wasn’t inadvertently being rude. I’m a child born out of wedlock myself, so I don’t get to turn my nose up at anything, I feel like.

Jessalyn Champignon

Aka it’s finally time for me to give you your cliff notes guide to the whole situation.